We Had a Deal
by freakyanimegal
Summary: (pic by Ohthree, link in AN) One little puppet is a small price to pay to learn all the secrets of the universe. Oh but I didn't hold up my end of the bargain, did I, Kid? Didn't you ever hear 'be careful what you wish for', Pine Tree? Then again you didn't pay much mind to the 'don't make a deal with the devil' thing either, did ya? Hah!
1. Chapter 1

**Soooo….as of now this is a oneshot just to get out all the Bill Cipher-Obsession in my system but if anyone's interested I might update (shrug).**

**Image can be found here: ohthree. deviantart art/dipper-cipher-394891139 just remove the spaces**

**Disclaimer: I own Nothing.**

_C'mon Pine Tree, you wanted to know, didn't you?_

He tossed in his bed, eyes shut tight as if trying to brace against the voice echoing in his head.

_It was our deal wasn't it? A puppet for all the secrets of the universe? I didn't pay up now did I? _

Images flashed in his head, racing, blurring. Places and things, creatures and people, all a whirl of color and sound in his mind. Planets burning and stars bursting into creation, galaxies crashing into each other and universes imploding in on themselves.

_You're so curious about everything aren't ya, Pine Tree? Not really a tree yet though, are ya? More like sapling, a little sprout. You're just starting to wriggle your roots into the world, you're aiming up so high but you can't see past the canopy._

It wouldn't stop. It wouldn't, it just kept coming, the stream of information, of whys and hows.

_Go ahead, Pine Sprout, keep reaching up for that burning ball of gas. No matter how much you grow or how deep your roots get you're still nothing but a speck on a speck of a world on a speck of a galaxy. _

Then trees, different kinds, spruces, firs, pines, lots of pines. Dotting the mountain, tall and imposing. He was staring up at them, tiny, miniscule, his feet stuck in the ground and unable to lift them.

_But I like your ambition, kid, I'll tell you that much._

The trees shrank around him, growing smaller as he grew taller.

_I can't have you getting in my way but that doesn't mean I don't like you, kid._

He couldn't move even though he grew past the treetops. The sun burned him since he was exposed and he was being choked, crowded from the sides.

_But hey, 'be careful what you wish for', right? Then again they also say don't make a deal with the devil but you didn't listen to that one very well either, didja? Hah!_

The boy moaned in his sleep, tossing and gripping at the sheets as a cool sweat broke on his skin.

_Go on and grow Pine Sprout, let's see how big you get. _

Dipper let out a shout of pain in his sleep, thrashing in the covers. His head whipped, his bangs brushed aside revealing his odd birthmark.

_I guess it was your destiny to begin with anyway. The stars you were born under, at least that's what the old kooks used to say. Funny how humans can be so wrong but be so close to the mark at the same time. It's hilarious, really!_

The mark began to burn, metaphorically and literally as the mark engulfed in blue flame.

_Remember the deal, kid? You're my puppet, it doesn't matter if I have your body or not._

Dipper screamed.

_**Pain is hilarious.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Huh, apparently people are interested. **

**Very well then. You asked for it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Dipper nearly staggered down the stairs, groaning and rubbing his head. His vision seemed blurry- everything seemed off, really. With some focus he reached the bottom of the stairs, rubbing his eyes as he trudged into the kitchen.

"Dipper did you stay up all night again?"

Even Mabel's voice seemed to be off, like it was scratching at the inside of his head.

The boy groaned and plopped himself half over the table, mumbling. He vaguely made out his sister offering him a glass of Mabel-Juice but responded only with a brief grunt of denial. There had been a weird dream last night, something unnerving and….he couldn't remember. Why was his head pounding? Everything felt tingly, like pins and needles but less uncomfortable and more- he wasn't sure how to describe it.

"Dipper?"

He lifted his head.

"Mm…?"

"You look terrible! You should go back to sleep, are you feeling sick? Do you have a fever?"

He shivered at the touch of his sister's hand against his forehead. It felt cold and his forehead felt tender, like it had been rubbed raw. Instinctively he pushed her hand back.

"I'm fi-…" He cut off, feeling as if the world was swaying around him. "O- okay, I'll go back to bed…"

"You should! Here, let me help you-"

"I can get up the stairs by myself, Mabel-"

He tried to step off the chair and landed flat on his face.

_**Smooth one, kid.**_

Dipper choked and jerked up best he could at the voice, frantically looking around.

_**What are you surprised? Hah! I thought you were smart!**_

"Dipper-!? Hey are you okay? Should I call an ambulance?! The hospital?! A witch-doctor- I mean there's gotta be a witch-doctor in Gravity Falls right?!"

_**Shhh…careful Pine Sprout, do you really want to drag her into this? This is just between you and me….**_

"I- I-"

Dipper managed to scramble to his feet and raced back up the stairs, slamming the door and locking it behind him. His chest was heaving and his eyes darted around frantically.

"Where are you?" he snapped, though his voice came out weak and barely above a choked whisper.

_**Did you think I ever left, Pine Sprout?**_

"Sh- shut up! What do you want? I'm never going to make a deal with you again!"

_**Oh, Pine Sprout, you are such a riot! I don't need another deal, the one we have will work out fine.**_

"I'm not your puppet anymore!"

Then, he laughed. It wasn't the usual mirthful, somewhat wacky laugh. No this one was far more unnerving, he had never once heard the demon sound so…calm. It was a controlled, reserved chortle, so very unlike everything Bill usually was.

_**Oh, Pine Sprout…**_

Dipper froze, staring in horror at his shadow on the floor as it stretched up along the wall, over his head and then split into two arms, sliding over his face. Though he couldn't see it, he could feel the fingers make a triangle shape around his eye, framing it.

_**You never stopped being my puppet.**_

Dipper let out a scream and rushed away from the door, panting. The world abruptly turned gray as the unfortunately familiar triangle appeared, swinging his cane laxly and looking so very amused.

"You're fun to mess with y'know."

"What do you want?!" Dipper shouted, failing at trying to mask his panic.

"To fulfill my end of the bargain, of course!"

Bill threw his arms up, then swept his hat in a bow.

"I am a triangle of my word after all, so you're my puppet…"

Abruptly he was in front of Dipper, his one eye burning blue and locked on Dipper's gaze.

"_**And you get what I promised."**_

"You destroyed the laptop! What good would the password do for me now, huh?! Now what do you really want?!"

"Oh come on, kid, I told you already." Bill rolled his eye. "The deal was I give you the secrets of the universe."

One arm stretched around Dipper's shoulders, pulling him close.

"Since you're my puppet from now on, I gotta hold up my end, yeah?"

"But I'm-!"

"Did you pay any attention at all, kid? I don't need your body for you to be my puppet."

The images from his dream suddenly came back to him in such a rush of shape and color that Dipper went limp, staring off dumbly into space. Bill laughed and wrapped one arm around him like a tentacle, then used it to dump him onto his bed. Dipper could only stare up at the ceiling as Bill, now tiny, perched himself atop his nose, sitting with his legs crossed and tapping one foot to an unheard beat.

"Aww you're such a cute little sprout, huh? Though that's a problem, you see, a proxy of mine's gotta have SOME credibility."

Without shoulders, Bill shrugged and then tapped his cane against Dipper's nose.

"Eh, we'll work on that later. Once you're more a sapling than sprout. Soooo how's that flood of information doing? Fun? Not fun? I imagine it's overwhelming for that little brain of yours- hey are you paying attention? Oh I guess not, I mean, how can you?"

Bill laughed and Dipper barely could twitch a finger in response. It felt like Bill was talking from far away, like everything was far away. There was so much running through his head, it was hard to breathe. Images he'd never seen, things he'd never heard of, tastes and touches, facts and figures. He knew things, things as complex as quantum physics and things as pointless as what color the underside of a gnome's tongue was.

"Don't worry you won't even remember it all…at first, anyway. Gotta have some time to adjust or your brain'd just explode. No, seriously. I mean, bam! Gray matter everywhere, like when you blew up those zombies…heh, karaoke, fun."

The boy didn't respond outside of his strained breathing and a twitch of his eyelids. Bill's eye narrowed in a way that suggested a smirk, appearing at his side in his normal size.

"There there, l'il seedling," he patted Dipper's head. "You go ahead and get your roots dug in and then we'll work on…growing up."

Bill vanished in a flash of light and the world was back to its sub-normal self. Not much time must have passed because Mabel was pounding on the locked door.

"Dipper?! Hey, Dipper! What's going on?! C'mon, let me in! I'll have Soos breakdown the door!"

"I don't know if Mr. Pines would like that-"

"I'll give you a Mr. Adequate Bar."

The door was knocked off its hinges and Soos tripped on the rug and fell forward, Mabel hopping over him like a frog and rushing over to her brother's bedside.

"Dipper! Hey! Dipper!" she waved her hands frantically in front of his eyes, then smacked his cheek. "…Soos, I think something's wrong with Dipper!"

"Didja try tickling him? By the way I could've just used the keys." Soos lifted his hand up, though is voice was still muffled by his face in the floor.

"Oh, no I didn't, hold on."

Mabel furiously tickled her brother and didn't get a single spasm or chuckle in exchange.

"Oh _no!_ Soos, get Grunkle Stan!"

Dipper managed to close his eyes, blocking the outside world. Some part of him thought that that would help him, though it turned out he was gravely mistaken. Shutting out his surroundings just brought all the things in his mind out in full force. It was a lot like, he thought, the images that would flash in Bill's triangle when he was thinking of things, except now they were all happening in his head.

Then in the midst of the chaos a stream of coherence, images of the journal, of McGucket, the bunker, the things the shapeshifter, the society and other beings had said. Eagerness filled him and he pursued the string of thoughts pouring into his mind, trying to root out anything else related to it. The answer was in here somewhere, it had to be! The answer to everything, the journals, the machine the author made, the strangeness and-

_**Oh ho! Getting into it now, are we? Good, good! But I think that's enough for now, don't want to over-water you, Pine Sprout!**_

His eyes flickered open to meet darkness. After a few seconds, his eyes adjusted and he could make out the wooden ceiling of the attic-room above him. With a groan he sat up, rubbing his pounding head.

"Dipper…"

He flinched a bit and saw Mabel slumped over his bedside, sound asleep. She must have murmured his name, she talked in her sleep pretty frequently, though usually it was stuff about cute animals or glitter. Why was she sleeping there, though? What time was it? Had she been there all day- had _he _been there all day?

Slowly he slipped out of his bed, careful not to wake her. The clock said one, had he really been out that long? The moonlight was peeking through the gap between the curtains and hitting the mirror- wait, what was that? Something in the mirror. It was strange, the way the moonlight hit the mirror the entire glass seemed to light up with some unworldly glow, or, Dipper thought, just a Gravity Falls glow.

He crossed the distance to it, looking into its surface. Mabel had been right, he looked terrible. There were bags under his eyes and his skin looked pale, his eyes were red- no, just one eye- wait, what? He tensed up, staring at the one eye that had turned red around his iris, the same eye, he recalled with a chill, that Bill had made the triangle shape over. A drop of blood slipped from it, like a tear. Dipper went to wipe it away and then yelped when the streak abruptly turn sideways on his face, then quickly traced a triangle of blood around his eye.

There was a hissing sound and steam began to rise from around his eye. Dipper let out a shriek of pain and gripped it, then realized his blood was burning into his skin, like acid. Desperately he tried to wipe it off his face, but it didn't seem to have any effect at all. It hurt so much he felt tears beginning to stream down his cheeks, the right side stained red with blood.

Naturally his shrieking woke his sister, who jerked upright and even in her grogginess rushed for her brother, grabbing his shoulders as he gripped his face.

"Dipper-! Dipper what's wrong?!"

He moved his hands to look at her, panting. The moonlight illuminated the side of his face and the fresh, raw burn. A triangle scar around his eye that cried a stream of watery blood. Mabel gasped, her eyes going wide in terror. In the back of his mind Dipper heard a distant, soft cackle.

"No." He choked. "It's not hilarious."

He collapsed into his sister's arms.

**Well that was amusing. By the way, quick poll. Would you prefer shorter chapters with more frequent updates, or longer chapters but longer waits? Let me know, if you would.**

**And personally I agree with Bill and find it pretty hilarious, when it's happening to Dipper, that is.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So recently I've heard of something called the transcendence AU. It's pretty neat, though I don't think this fic quite falls under that category, if anyone is wondering. Well anyway, do enjoy! Or not, but there are no refunds. That's right, THERE IS NO GETTING YOUR TIME BACK. AHAHAHAHAHAH. Sorry had a Cipher moment. (notsorry)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

It had to be almost three in the morning and Dipper winced as his sister wrapped the bandages around his head, the cool cloth pressed against his eye. She had managed to scrounge up some burn ointment from what first-aid stuff Soos had stashed downstairs, though her brother flat-out refused to let her call an ambulance, or even wake up their grunkle. Her brother kept wincing as she worked and it made her twitch a little each time.

"I don't get it, though…" she said after a bit. "Why is Bill doing this to you?"

"From what he said, it's part of the deal, like I told you." Dipper winced. "He never held up his end so-"

"But he did. That's the part I don't get." Mabel bit her lip.

"What? No he didn't, he smashed the laptop-"

"Well the deal was he'd give you a hint, right? But he did, didn't he? I mean, we found out about McGucket from the laptop."

Dipper stared at his sister with his one eye, a spark of realization hitting him. He let out a sudden rough laugh and Mabel flinched.

"Dip-?"

"You're right, I can't believe I didn't realize that. Of course Bill would do something like that, he wouldn't ever…everything he says has a double-meaning. Like about the puppet thing, he didn't want one of your puppets he wanted me…but then you're right, that doesn't make sense." Dipper sighed. "If we both got our end of the deal then…"

He frowned, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to figure out the situation.

"Well, he's still saying you're his puppet, so maybe…if he still wants to keep you a puppet, he has to make up for it by still giving you information?"

Dipper blinked and then groaned, closing his eye.

"Mabel how come I'm the smart one but you're the one who's figuring stuff like this out?"

"Because it's three am, you're rest-deprived and I'm always random so three am doesn't really affect me much?" Mabel grinned, then shrugged. "I mean I don't know anyway, I could be wrong."

"My head hurts…" Dipper muttered.

"Are you sure you don't want me to like…call a hospital or tell Grunkle Stan or-?"

"Tell them what? An evil triangle is stalking me and burning my face with my own blood?"

"Well okay maybe the hospital wouldn't buy that one but Grunkle Stan might!"

Dipper hesitated, considering it a moment but then had a sharp, twisting feeling in his gut. No. No he couldn't let Stan know about this, any of this. He didn't know why but he felt to his very core that if he knew anything about this...it would be bad, very bad.

"Mabel, let's- we need to keep this a secret, okay?" he pleaded, looking at her. "I don't want anyone to know about this. Please."

"But Dipper-"

"They wouldn't be able to help anyway, the closest we might be able to get is McGucket and he's still trying to figure out his own mind." He said. "No one can help so there's no point in telling them and having them worry about it. Look, we'll both figure this out, okay?"

His sister frowned, crossing her arms tightly and glaring down at him.

"Fine, but if we find out something that Grunkle Stan or Soos or whoever can help with, I'm telling them. Deal?"

Dipper nodded, holding his hand out to his sister's.

"Deal."

No sooner had their hands met there was a flash of blue. Both twins widened their eyes in shock as a blue flame ignited and engulfed their clasped hands. Mabel let out a shout and Dipper felt his covered eye burn for just a moment then it passed.

"W- what the-?!" Dipper yelped, quickly pulling his hand away.

He stared at his palm as the blue flame snuffed out, leaving several blue sparks that flicked into nothing. Mabel frantically turned her hand over and over, staring at it.

"D- Dipper, what was that?!"

"I- I don't know!" he shook his head. "I just- this doesn't make sense!"

"I thought Bill was just like- teaching you stuff or something!"

"Well yeah but I guess the triangle thing- I thought he was just doing that to like- claim me or freak me out or something!"

"How did you do the deal thing then!?"

"I don't know!"

Both twins were panicked and on the verge of hyperventilating; Dipper smacked himself across the face.

"Okay! Okay, gotta snap out of it and calm-…"

"Dipper did you just hit the burned side of your face?"

The boy fell back on his side and groaned, whimpering as he curled up into a ball. Mabel sighed and patted his head.

"I'll go get some advil…"

Mabel quickly but silently left the room.

Dipper grit his teeth, eyes shut tight as he braced against the pain. All of this was all wrong, all of this was…

_**Scary? Aw, you getting cold feet? Well sorry kid, there's no getting out of this now.**_

Dipper choked.

_**Your first deal! How adorable! I should've taken pictures, I'll start up an album for my little sprout.**_

"What are you doing to me?" he shut his eyes tight, desperately trying to suppress the bubbling fear he felt.

_**Doing? Well whatever I want, really, I own you now. **_

"Just give me a straight answer for once!" He shouted, his voice half muffled by the mattress against his side.

_**Nah I don't think you've earned that just yet…give it a little time. **_

"But-!"

_**This is your own fault, kid. How many times were you told not to dig anymore? How many times were you told to turn around? To stop looking, to back off before you got too deep? You had plenty of warnings, Pine Sprout, and you ignored every single one of them. So this is what you get. **_

"What is it I'm getting?!"

_**Exactly what you wanted.**_

"Just leave me alone!"

_**Oh kid, you've never been alone. **_

"Wh- what does that mean?!"

_**It means you've never been alone, duh, what the hell do you think it means? **_

"Stop messing with me and expla-!"

"Dipper?!" Mabel rushed through the door. "Dipper what's wrong?! Is he here again?!"

Dipper curled up more on the bed, trembling and holding back sobs with all his might to retain what pride he had.

_**The Little Dipper and the Shooting Star….**_

He did his best to block him out, hugging himself as his sister fretted over him.

_**The Shooting Star flashes bright but is too quick and too free to trap….**_

She put an ice pack against his eye, soothing the aching burn as he slowly breathed more calmly.

_**But the Dipper can hold things inside it, in fact, it's made to gather and retain.**_

"Mabel…my head…" he whimpered.

_**Wow, that was pretty poetic of me, huh? Hah! I'm just so awesome, listen to me, with my metaphors and foreshadowing, damn I'm good. Suck it, Shakespeare. **_

"Bill's an ass," he murmured, opening one eye weakly to look at her.

"Yeah, Bro-Bro, he's not nice."

**God help me Bill is so fun to write. And tormented Dipper and concerned Mabel are adorable. Hnng.**

**Review if you'd like.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Allrighty well after the third plea I got for an update today I figured I'd get to writing this.**

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing. However if someone wants to hook me up with some writing staff for Gravity Falls I'd be all for that. **

The rest of the dark hours were completely restless. Both twins had bags under their eyes and Mabel still refused to leave Dipper's bedside. His head was pounding so hard it was making his vision swim. Mabel yawned loudly, rubbing her eyes.

"What are we gonna tell Grunkle Stan?" she murmured sleepily.

"We'll say we stayed up all night I guess…" Dipper said, not opening his eyes. "I wasn't feeling good and you were staying up with me. It's kind of the truth, right?"

"I guess…" she stretched, standing up. "But I'm hungry still, I'll go see if we can make pancakes ok? I'll bring some up."

"Okay…"

Dipper sighed, trying to rest his exhausted body but his thoughts were racing just as much as they had since Bill had played his hand the day before. Why had he been so stupid to make a deal with that triangle? His obsession had really screwed him over, now what was he going to do? There had to be something about Bill and his deals that he could use- deals… The memory of the blue fire springing up around his and Mabel's clasped hands, just like when Bill made his deals. Bill had even said it was his 'first deal'… Dipper shivered at the thought, pulling the blankets around him more tightly. If he could make a deal then…what was happening? What was he becoming? What else did he say? A 'proxy'? What was a proxy? Something like a puppet, or a tool? Or a-?

_**Y'know kid you really should take a break at this point. Trust me if you're gonna freak out this much everytime I do something from now on you're gonna have a veeeeeerrry hard time.**_

Maybe if he just ignored him he'd get bored and leave him alone, at least for a little bit.

_**You want to know what I meant by proxy, kid? Of course you do, you want details, you want to know exactly what I'm doing and what plans I have for you, don't you? **_

He did. But-

_**I may be a being of pure energy with no weaknesses, but uh…not having a physical form can make interacting with it a little tricky. That's why I needed a puppet to begin with, makes sense, right? So that's basically still what I'm doing. I need a…little helper, to do my bidding in the physical reality.**_

__"No!" he shook his head, his eye snapping open. "No I'm not gonna-"

He let out a scream and clutched his head, squirming around in the covers.

_**Oh don't try and resist, Pine Sprout, you're already rooted in, nothing is gonna pull you out now. So just relax, let the water come, drink it up and grow up big.**_

"S- Stop with the damn tree analogies already!" Dipper shrieked, his eyes shut tight.

_**Aw man, really? But it sounds so cool and cryptic! And it annoys you so that's a plus. Guess it does kinda get stuffy and pretentious after a while though….hm, well whatever.**_

"I'm not gonna help you," Dipper muttered through his gritted teeth, trying not to whimper.

_**Oh yeah you are. Whether you like it or not, whether you know it or not, you're going to be my useful little tool. For now though, you really should rest. So Imma help you with that m'kay?**_

He felt as if someone struck him upside the head and he collapsed into sleep.

_Night night Sprout_

Dipper was barely conscious at all for the next few days, coming to now and then only long enough for his sister or friends to put water or soup to his mouth, then collapsing again. His headache seemed to spread to his entire body and he was aware of nothing but a steady, dull throb throughout his being. Aside from that, the only lucidity he had was a dream.

He was high up, not freakishly high but…tall, and he was looking down at Mabel, who was crying and pleading with him about something he couldn't make out. She was begging and suddenly they were surrounded by blue fire. She reached up for him and he grabbed her wrist with a black-gloved hand, hauling her up and then tossing her into the flame like a piece of trash. The screams tore at his head and he finally returned to the waking world, panting and covered in cold sweat.

He was still in his bed, nothing had changed and for a split second he wondered if everything had just been one big dream. One hand absentmindedly went to his right eye and he winced when his fingers met bandages instead of flesh. No, it was real. Just great. He sighed, his head drooping down and his chin coming to his collar, resting on the white undershirt- wait.

This wasn't his shirt…

He frowned, shaking his head of the sleep and pulling the shirt out to look at it. This wasn't one of his nightshirts, this looked like one of those white undershirts Grunkle Stan wore all the time. Except it fit, length-wise, at least. It was still really baggy- wait a minute, what? He looked himself over and his visible eye grew wider and wider. He threw the covers off and for the second time tripped and fell flat on his face when he tried to race away. He swore under his breath and then gripped at his throat, shaking. His voice sounded different- wait, no that was probably the least weird part about this. He was at an age where his voice could change so suddenly, even without one of McGucket's weird inventions. But…

"Dipper! You're up!"

He felt himself abruptly tackled into a hug by his sister, whose arms nearly cracked his ribs with the strength of her hug.

"Dipper I was starting to think you'd never wake up and I was so scared and worried and Waddles kept trying to eat your hair because you wouldn't move and-!"

Why was she so much smaller?

"Oh! Uhm- okay, Dipper, don't freak out, okay?" Mabel looked up at him, a nervous, forced smile on her face. "You uh…uhm…you've uh…had a growth spurt?"

Dipper stared at her.

"Wh-!?"

"Don't freak out!" Mabel cut him off.

"But-!"

"Don't freak out!"

"I AM FREAKING OUT MABEL!"

Mabel smacked him across the left side of his face.

"Get a hold of yourself!" she shouted, sticking a finger in his face.

"I- I- okay…okay I just…"

He was doing his best to breathe normally, to think clearly, but it was all too clear he had gone through more than just a growth spurt- well, technically he had, but not a normal one. Mabel walked away and then dragged the mirror over, setting it in front of him as he sat on the floor.

"There. Now you don't have to try and walk yet." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

Dipper stared.

The bandages still covered his right eye and, though still a bit large for him, he was wearing what looked like some of Grunkle Stan's lounging about clothes. Of course those things were very minor compared to the most attention-grabbing change, in that he was now an adult. A young man maybe twenty was sitting on the floor staring at him through the glass, easily as tall as Grunkle Stan and almost as broad in the shoulders. Dipper shook and then attempted to get to his feet again, Mabel rushing over to support him at his side.

"Okay, Bro-Bro, just take it easy, you've been out for a while…"

"A- a while-?" he choked, looking at her helplessly. "How long-? Wait but you're still-?"

"Well not long enough for you to grow up like this," she said sheepishly, keeping her small comforting smile plastered on her face. "But it's been a couple weeks…"

"Weeks-?!"

"Yeah, you just…you wouldn't wake up," she said, her eyes lowering. "We were gonna take you to the hospital but then you started growing like this and Grunkle Stan-"

"Stan knows?!"

"Of course he does, Dipper!" Mabel pouted. "How did you think I was gonna keep something like _this _from them? Wendy and Soos know too! They've been helping take care of you and we've been trying to find a way to wake you up but you did on your own, so that's good I guess-"

"Wendy?"

Wendy had seen him like this? What did she think? Was she-? No, no that wasn't the important part. Grunkle Stan knew, how much did he know?

"Mabel what do you mean Stan knows? I thought you promised-"

"He doesn't know anything about Bill," she huffed, irritated. "I did promise not to tell them anything about that, I keep my promises. But what was I supposed to do? Lock the door and not let them see you and then not tell them anything? I just told them I didn't know what was happening…which is true, because I'm pretty lost here, I just know Bill's got something to do with it and that's about it."

Of course it was Bill, what else would it be? But why? What would Bill have to gain by doing this to him? He struggled for a minute or two to stand properly, though it was a lot harder than he thought it would be. His longer limbs were awkward for him to find his balance on, not to mention they felt weak and wobbly from unuse. Not to mention hurting like hell, like all of his body did. Mabel worked with him patiently, encouraging him as she helped him stand on his own two feet.

"There you go, Bro-Bro…" she gave him a little half-smile. "See? You got it."

_**Yeah Bro-Bro, not bad!**_

The twins stared at the mirror, where in the reflection, the triangle around Dipper's eye glowed through the bandages and then became Bill. Dipper yelped and touched his eye but Bill was only in the reflection, then popped out of it before them.

"You!" Mabel snapped, glaring. "What are you doing to my brother, huh?!"

"I remember warning you to keep her out of this, Pine Sapling, but hey, I warned you about lots of things." Bill's eye squinted in his weird face-less 'smile'.

The triangle quickly circled the two of them, his eye scanning Dipper intently.

"Not bad, not bad." He twirled his cane around. "People might take you seriously now, good."

"What the hell was this for?!" Dipper snapped, subconsciously wrapping his arm more around Mabel.

"I told ya a proxy of mine's gotta have some dignity," Bill shrugged. "I mean, I can't make you a beautiful polygon like myself, I gotta work with what I've got, but hey! This is the next best thing, once we get you cleaned up a little, a little bit of tutoring and you'll be able to effectively strike fear into the hearts of man etc etc."

Dipper's visible eye-twitched.

"Are you telling me you did this just because…"

"Because you'd look cooler! Yeah!" Bill chirped, obviously pleased with himself. "I mean after all!"

His arm extended and pinched Dipper's cheek, wiggling it like an old granny with their grandson.

"My widdle demon-Dip has gotta look intimidating while doing my bidding! Doesn't he? Doesn't he?" He cooed.

"Don't touch me!" Dipper smacked the gloved hand away. "I-! …Demon-Dip?"

Bill's eye flashed blue and both twins could almost feel the non-existent smirk.

"Well yeah, Pine Sapling, why do you think I'm going through so much trouble to take care of you? Demons can't just poof up their own uh…successors out of nowhere, not that you would know that. Soooooooo…!"

Both arms wrapped around Dipper and jerked him away from Mabel, pulling the struggling now-adult right up so his cheek was squashed against Bill's flat-face. He struggled and Bill cooed him, stroking his hair.

"Daddy's gonna make you quite the demon, _son."_

**AN: Okay! An update! Now if I can update some of my other fics..review please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm tired, blah, so this may get a little weird…er**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

"Son-!?"

"Yup!" The triangle's other arm stretched out in front of the two of them, snapping a picture with a camera that formed from his hand. "Selfie!"

Dipper pushed back and stumbled backwards on his awkward limbs, Mabel 'catching' him only for both of them to fall onto the floor. Bill gave a short laugh and was now flipping through the pages of what appeared to be a scrapbook.

"This'll be a nice addition!"

The twins stared in a numb shock as the entity placed the photo he had just taken into the book, stamping it down with some colorful stickers and titling it 'Baby and me', right next to a picture of Dipper and Mabel's strange handshake previously that was captioned 'Dippy's first deal'. Mabel had gotten to her feet again and was supporting Dipper into a sitting position, as her brother didn't seem to have the strength or balance to get up again without her help.

"Ah! Memories!" Bill exclaimed dramatically, wiping away a 'tear' from his gigantic eye.

"What're you-? …Hey wait! Those were my stickers!" Mabel shouted, dropping her support of her brother's back and causing him to fall and slam his head on the floor, cursing loudly. "Oh-Sorry, Dipper!"

"Ow."

"Uhhh- so yeah! You! Whaddya mean by the whole son thing huh?!" Mabel demanded.

"Let me put it this way, Shooting Star, technically entities like me have no reason to reproduce and have no drive to make 'attempts', buuuuut there has to be a new one every once and a while." Bill shrugged, 'smirking'. "So instead of making one out of thin air or going through all the hassle of developing a physical one, we just kind of take one that's pre-made and uh…_customize_ it."

"Like a virus." Dipper said flatly.

"Eh?"

"You infect something else to make it replicate your DNA."

"I don't have 'DNA', not in a way you'd understand- yet, but yeah basically!" Bill laughed, twirling his cane. "And you're sprouting up real nice so far, Sapling! Before you know it you'll be tormenting souls and shredding up reality, I'm so proud."

"Why?! If you don't need to- why would you want something else like you around, huh!?"

"Oh Dippy," Bill shook his 'head', his eye flashing blue. "You were already like me to begin with. Just sooooo obsessed with knowing _everything. _Am I right?"

"You're avoiding my question!"

"Yup. I do that."

"So…Dipper's like…your kid now?" Mabel frowned, her brow furrowed.

"In a way humans could understand? Sure." Bill twirled his cane around. "Offspring, apprentice, progeny, descendant, successor- well not quite successor, I'm not going anywhere but you get the idea."

"But- no! No, change me back! Take whatever you did back! I don't want the knowledge, take it back and call off the deal!" Dipper shouted, struggling to get back on his feet again.

"Oh but why would you want to do that? Besides, once you get a little stronger you can take that dorky pre-pubescent form again anytime you want! So what's the big deal?"

"It is a big deal-!"

"Hah, deal, it's funny because that's how you got into this." Bill cackled, looking quite pleased with himself at his own observation.

"…I've heard better," Mabel shrugged.

"Everyone's a critic…"

Dipper began to say something and Bill yanked him forward by his collar, his big eye burning blue.

"Y'know what Pine Sapling? You can call off the deal, sure, but it won't undo what I've done to your body- not like that, Mabel, this isn't one of your yaoi fics."

"IDON'TREADTHOSE!" Mabel blurted quickly, her face turning red.

"Uh-huh, but yeah point is, Dippy, we break the deal now and you're stuck like this. How're you gonna go home, huh? How are you gonna see your friends, your family, or go back to school? Not that you need school anymore but if you wanna stay with your sister, how can you do it like this? Hm? You can't. So! You keep this arrangement and then you can fix yourself up! See? It works out."

"No it doesn't because I'd still be your puppet! This is blackmail!" Dipper shouted.

"Oh no a demon who blackmails, that's sooooo unheard of. Geez kid, really?"

"You-!"

"You know what? I'll be a nice guy, I'll even give you a little trial run, how about that?" Bill held up one black finger, the tip erupting in blue flame.

Before either twin could do anything Bill set the flame against Dipper's forehead. His body seized up, his birthmark and his eye erupting in blue flames at Bill's touch.

"Dipper-!"

"I'll give you a taste of it, a free sample, then later on we'll discuss if you still want to get rid of it, hmmm?"

He felt it, burning up inside him just like the blue flames. Like heat, like energy, like every cell was bursting with electricity and every inch of his body was…he didn't know how to describe it. He felt strong, and smart, and fast and cunning and…confident, so, so very confident. That constant awkwardness and doubt he felt were crushed underfoot by this intoxicating feeling of assuredness. He could do no wrong, he could do everything and anything and it would be easy! Anything he wanted to happen he could _make _happen! Anything he want to do he could do! Everything was his toy, his plaything! He could do whatever he wanted, he was _entitled _to do whatever he wanted! It was his right to make this world amuse him-!

Dipper jerked back, gripping his head and shutting his eye.

"N- no! Stop, what did you do-?!"

"It's hard to let go of it once you get a taste, isn't it? Addicting, huh?"

"What did you do to my mind?!"

"First it's 'what did you do to my body' and now it's 'what did you do to my mind', wah wah wah, a 'thank you Bill you're so generous' would suffice."

Dipper's eye snapped open and he performed an action that could best be described as a snarl. His entire body erupted in blue flame and his eye burned red, his teeth elongated into fangs.

"What did you _**DO!?" **_

Mabel recoiled in shock and Bill laughed as Dipper slammed his hands over his mouth, shaking at the deep, echoing voice that had burst from his throat.

"Oh wow, you are growing up fast! That's another for the scrapbook!"

Bill popped open the same scrapbook out of the air, setting down a picture of the snarling, flame-engulfed Dipper on the next blank spot.

"Baby's first tantrum…." Bill hummed to himself as he captioned it.

"BILL!"

"Oh isn't it obvious what I did? I just gave you a preview of what's to come. A niiiice little appetizer."

If a being without a mouth could grin, Bill did.

"Yessiree a big heaping dish of _power."_

Dipper shut his eye again, breathing hard as the earlier sensation flooded his senses.

"_**Feels nice, doesn't it?"**_

Heaven help him, it did.

So, _so _nice...

**AN: And Dipper's mental transformation begins. Though there will be some other physical changes likely…**

**Review please**


	6. Chapter 6

**I like potatoes.**

**Random.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing still. *teardrop***

Something struck him upside the head, it took him just a moment to realize it was one of his encyclopedias that Mabel had slammed into the side of his face.

"Dipper! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

He cursed and rubbed the side of his face, wincing as the world came back into focus. Bill was gone but nothing else seemed different. Nothing but himself. Oh this sweet, sweet pulsing of power through his blood...

"Dipper-!"

He lifted a hand and the book slammed into his open palm, which didn't budge or even twitch at the impact. Mabel's eyes widened, the color bleeding from her face as her brother slowly turned his head, his one eye coolly regarding her. Then a grin split his face, one far too devious to naturally be on his lips. He let out a laugh, lifting both hands to grab his face, turning his face up toward the ceiling.

"Oh Mabel- Mabel! It's- it's _amazing_!"

"Dipper…" she whispered, her knuckles turning white as her grip tightened on the book. "Dipper you- eep-!"

He stood up, sweeping her off her feet and grinning brightly at her.

"I've never felt so _great_, Mabel! I just- I can't even tell you! I just feel like I can- oh! I know!"

He smirked, glancing over at the lamp. He snapped a finger toward it and the lamp suddenly became a live flamingo, which looked around in confusion then began to preen its feathers. Mabel gasped, then realized Dipper had let her go in order to make that motion, yet she had not fallen. She looked down and squealed, flailing her limbs around in mid-air.

"Ah-! Dipper!" she shrieked.

"Oh come on I wouldn't let you fall," he said with the same grin. "Isn't it awesome?!"

Mabel frantically looked between her brother, the ground beneath her, and the flamingo which was now pecking curiously at the wardrobe. While normally she would agree this would be pretty freaking awesome, but the manic look in her brother's eye made this entire situation significantly less cool than it would have been. Fortunately, or unfortunately, for Dipper he seemed oblivious to her distress.

How could he? There were so many possibilities! So many things he could do, so many things he could try, everything he looked at just had so many…_alternatives _, oh the options, the option! It was like the world had been reduced to clay in his hand, all he had to do was take it and shape it- hell he didn't even have to touch it! He just had to will it! With another snap of his fingers he turned the flamingo into a golf club, which he grabbed and swung, hitting the ceiling light and shattering it into confetti, which then warped into butterflies. He laughed with sheer ecstasy, beckoning one to him with a bend of his finger. It zoomed into his hand and he regarded it, smirking, pleased with his work. He glanced over at his still levitating sister and momentarily forgot his fun, frowning.

"Oh- right, sorry about that," he smiled.

He waved dismissively and the butterflies burst into glass, rearranging themselves into the light and the club abruptly became a lamp once more. With one smooth step he was before his sister, quickly but gently grabbing her hand then pulling her down so her feet touched the floor, where they stayed. Mabel let out a sigh of relief, looking up at her brother in awe.

"H- How did you do that?"

"I don't know!" he grinned. "Well, actually I do- kinda, yeah I think so, it's just weird and complicated but I get it but don't really get it, I'll get it, I think."

"Dipper, I…I don't think this is a good idea- doing that stuff. That's what Bill wants, isn't it? So you shouldn't be doing it or trying it."

He stared down at her, frowning. What? Sure it might be true but...stop? Don't do it? Don't try it? How could he not? It was hard to even pay attention to her, what with all the material at his disposal, it was like that feeling you got when you were in a china store, that urge to smash everything just because it was there, but a thousand times- no, a million times stronger. How could he possibly pay attention when there was so much opportunity? What could he do? He wanted to see, he wanted to see just how much he was capable of, how much he could do, how much he could know-

"Mabel I can figure out everything! Everything!" he grinned, completely dismissing her concerns. "I can figure out who the author was, I can figure out why this town is the way it is, I can figure out everything, I can know everything about it!"

"Dipper you're not listening to me!" Mabel half-shouted, beginning to look distraught.

It would be so easy, if he just tried he was sure he could figure out everything about this town. Why stop there? Why stop at all? He could know everything in the world, everything about everything!

"Dipper I'm going to tell Stan!"

Abruptly his train of thought derailed.

"What?" his attention honed in on his sister.

She looked so much smaller now, standing there craning her neck up to look at him. It was like looking at an insect, an insect that was trying to threaten him. As if a little insect with no sting or pincer could even hope to hurt him. It was downright insulting…

"You can't. You promised you wouldn't."

"I sure as hell can!" she stomped her foot.

Everything had turned blue, the room was enveloped in blue flames. Mabel yelped, attempting to back up but had nowhere to go, looking back up at him with a look of pure horror.

"Dipper-!?"

He grabbed her by the collar of her sweater, glaring.

"We had a deal, remember?"

Wait. This was familiar. Where had he seen this? This viewpoint, the fire, Mabel- what happened when he saw this? Mabel and he had-

Oh.

Oh God.

Oh God no.

Dipper dropped her and the flames snapped out of existence as if they had been smothered, then he stumbled back, hitting the wall and then sliding down it, breathing hard. Oh no, oh no no, what had he done? He'd almost hurt Mabel, his sister, his twin, he'd almost- No, take deep breathes, calm down. This- this was Bill's doing, these feelings, that rush, the megalomania, it all stemmed from what the demon had done to him. No matter how good the power felt he knew it was bad, nothing but trouble. He'd nearly lost himself entirely to it, he had been so far gone he had almost hurt Mabel! She was right, he had to get control, he had to not use it, not even think about it. If it was what Bill wanted then he had to resist, no matter what it was.

_"Hey this is pretty comfy, it's really growing on me."_

Mabel was staring at his side and Dipper clenched his teeth, turning to his side.

"Damn it, Bill! Can't you just leave me alone for five sec- ah…"

The end of the word tangled into a blurb. His face was looking at him, his real face- or at least, his twelve-year-old face. Well, except for the slitted, yellow eyes, the faint glow and the menacing grin.

"Bipper!" Mabel pointed, alarmed.

"Thanks for the mold, Pine Sapling, I can manifest physically! Well, not really, more like semi-physically but hey it's something! Progress!"

The demon with his face kicked back, laying down laxly in mid-air, letting out a contented sigh.

"Feels nice, a bit tiring though, probably can't handle it for _too _long….but that's why I have you, eh, Pine Sapling?"

"What did you-!?"

"Do?" Bill opened one eye, then rolled it. "Geez you need more material, can't you at least like, shake up how you say it? Go 'yo what shit went down' or 'pendejo adonde esta mi cerdo'."

"Adonde esta mi cerdo-?" Mabel blinked.

"Right there," Bill gestured laxly, Waddles appearing at Mabel's side.

"Huh-!?"

"Hah! Yes! I warped a physical thing!" Bill grinned, throwing his arms up in the air. "Whoo! Go me! Hahahahah!"

He grabbed Dipper's chin, making him face him….self.

"Thanks a lot, kid! This exchange is working out great for both of us, huh? My widdle helper is such a good boy."

Bill slipped away from Dipper's striking arm, zipping a fair distance from both Pines siblings and began examining his attire.

"Huh, vest and shorts. Meh. I prefer formal. And yellow." He snapped his fingers. "There we go!"

A yellow tux, black slacks, black gloves, bowtie and top-hat now donned 'Dipper's' body and Bill regarded it fondly.

"That'll do! Not too bad, at least for trips to the physical plane, eh? Well beggars can't be choosers. Now then…."

He grinned widely.

"Think I'll take it out for a test drive, since you've already had fun with yours. Well!" he tipped his hat. "Race ya to the bottom of the stairs!"

And then he was gone.

"BY THE WAY EVERYONE CAN PERCEIVE ME NOW SO I'M GONNA GO FRAME YOU FOR STUFF MKAY!?"

Dipper and Mabel both scrambled for the door at such speeds they crashed into each other and tumbled down the stairs and landed in a heap.

**Apparently I'm incapable of writing a single chapter without Bill in it…huh…**

**Review please~**


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